A column is an important architectural structure that serves both as a vertical support member and as ornamentation. Historically, columns have been constructed of wood, stone, concrete, steel and the like. More recently, however, fiberglass has emerged as a favored material for column construction.
A cast fiberglass column is typically fabricated from a column mold. First, uncured fiberglass material is deposited into the column mold. Second, the fiberglass is formed and cured within the mold to form a column. Third, the column is removed from the mold. The exterior features of the column are typically formed by the contour of the interior walls of the mold. Typically the mold is a rigid, two piece mold, wherein each piece of the mold extends the length of the column and forms the surface of half of the column. The junctures of the two mold portions typically cause imperfections or flaws along the length of the column. Typically the imperfections are parting-lines which are formations of fiberglass that protrude radially from the surface of the fiberglass column. Parting-lines are formed when uncured fiberglass conforms to the junctures of the mold portions and cures. In order to appreciate the full ornamental value of the column, parting-line imperfections must be remedied. Parting-lines are typically removed by machining after the column has been formed and removed from the mold. Such machining typically includes grinding and sanding the parting-line until it is removed and the column surface is smooth. Unfortunately, machining cured fiberglass is relatively difficult and time consuming.
Additional problems accompany the fabrication of fluted columns, those having parallel grooves along their length, or columns with vines, leaves, flowers and other ornamental features defined by undercuts or relief. If a conventional smooth mold were modified to include protrusions/intrusions to form column grooves and ornaments, once the fiberglass cures within the mold, the column would "lock" the mold together or cause damage during removal because of the interference between the undercuts on the column surface and the protrusions along the mold inner wall. As a consequence, fluted and ornamented columns are typically constructed from nonfluted columns by machining the flutes and other ornamental features into the smooth surface of the nonfluted columns. As specified above, cured fiberglass is relatively difficult and time consuming to machine. Thus, the creation of fluted and ornate columns is often very resource intensive and cost prohibitive.
There is a need therefore, for an improved method and apparatus for fabricating fiberglass columns addressing these and other related, and unrelated, problems.